Where Does This End?
Leftist escalation will continue until we say enough.
Monday evening, Meridian police, working with the FBI and ATF, arrested Sarah George, a 43-year-old Boise woman alleged to have stolen an ambulance, crashed it into the St. Luke’s Portico North building, and attempted to set it on fire.
Watch Chief Tracy Basterrechea’s update:
A look at Sarah George’s Facebook profile shows what appears to be a typical left-wing activist: a quote from Ruth Bader Ginsburg overlaid on an LGBTQ+ rainbow as the header, numerous reposts of far-left takes on ICE and President Trump, and a general air of smug superiority. People like Sarah George believe they are on the right side of history, and so anything they do—up to and including grand theft auto and attempted arson—is justified.
George’s last public activity prior to allegedly stealing the ambulance and crashing it into the building was a repost claiming that ICE operations are a giant grift designed to enrich powerful corporations and lobbyists. Was she already planning to attack the ICE office, or did this push her over the edge?
Her final activity before her arrest was a repost claiming that the “authoritarian” Trump Administration is using “misinformation as a strategy.” She posted this knowing what she had allegedly done. Did she believe she had gotten away with it?
According to charging documents, Sarah George purchased gasoline cans at Walmart, then filled them at a Fred Meyer gas station. She reportedly scanned her Fred Meyer Rewards card during the transaction—not exactly a master criminal operation.
Recall that left-wing militants employ what they call a “diversity of tactics.” The front lines at many protests frequently feature elderly individuals holding signs and presenting a peaceful face to the cause, while behind the scenes, angry young people—or, in this case, middle-aged individuals like Sarah George—engage in property damage and even assault.
It is tempting, even for those of us on the right, to say that only a few extremists engage in violence, and that most protestors are peaceful and simply exercising their First Amendment rights. Yet if you had looked at Sarah George’s Facebook page a week ago, would you have predicted that she would purchase gas cans, steal an ambulance, crash into an office building, and attempt to set it ablaze?
The left has been escalating its rhetoric and its actions for years. The summer of 2020 saw widespread property damage, assaults, and even deaths amid unrest following the death of a man who overdosed while in police custody. When a healthcare CEO was assassinated, some on the left openly celebrated. When Charlie Kirk was shot at an event promoting free speech and open dialogue, others said he had it coming and even wished more of us would share his fate.
Also on Monday night, many Idaho politicians attended a dinner featuring Donald Trump Jr. Protestors surrounded the Boise Centre, shouting obscenities at attendees and law enforcement. One person was arrested. Sen. Kelly Anthon reported that he and his wife were accosted by protestors and required a police escort when leaving the event.
We all know where this leads. Democratic leaders may not be the ones pulling triggers, assaulting people, or emptying gas cans, but they use their platforms in ways that can inflame passions and encourage others to act. They know exactly what they’re doing by describing ICE as the Gestapo, President Trump as a fascist, and Republicans as Nazis.
This ends when we decide we have had enough. Those who break the law should be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. Conspiracies to commit crimes should be investigated and dismantled. Authorities should examine the message boards and group chats where militant activists may be planning illegal activity. Public funding should not flow to organizations that promote or excuse violence.
It is time to stop fearing the mob. Gov. Brad Little deserves credit for withdrawing the nomination of Estalla Zamora to the Idaho Human Rights Commission after she joined others on social media in agitating against ICE, contributing to rhetoric that may well have inspired Sarah George to commit violence.
We must stop rewarding bad behavior and allowing criminal acts to go unpunished. Freedom is impossible without the rule of law.
Remember -- when protestors are "mostly peaceful," that means 51% of them are peaceful. The other 49%?
The only people who don't know how this will end are the mentally ill. At least they won't be able to say we didn't warn them.